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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 120 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.

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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: rash · plane · sharp · pitcher · mark · safe · fall · ground

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fall — to drop
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a grade
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fall — to drop
  20. mark — a trace
  21. plane — a tool
  22. ground — a position
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fall — the season

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