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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: fan · pit · land · mine · lash · safe · mug · plane

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. land — to come down
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. mug — to rob
  12. plane — a tool
  13. land — ground
  14. pit — in a race
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. mine — for digging
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. land — a country
  20. mug — a face
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mine — belonging to me

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