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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · ruler · safe · bowl · fan · plane · capital · cell

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pop — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. pop — soda
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cell — in biology

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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