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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 116 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
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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 · pass · pound · bat · shower · ground · safe · saw

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. shower — rain
  5. pound — a weight
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. plane — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pass — a permit
  24. bat — the animal

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