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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.

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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: safe · hand · temple · jam · stand · ground · plane · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — in cards
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — a position
  17. mine — for digging
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — crushed

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