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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · safe · pitcher · sharp · mine · rule · mark · stock

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. stock — goods
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mark — a grade
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. plane — a tool
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. mark — a trace

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com