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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
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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 · safe · net · spring · race · date · present · rash

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. plane — a tool
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. net — in sport
  8. race — humankind
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. spring — the season
  11. rash — hasty
  12. race — a contest
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — a gift
  15. race — the arms race
  16. spring — a coil
  17. net — after costs
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — there
  22. rash — a series
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spring — of water

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