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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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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 · plane · stem · date · bat · arm · key · stick

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. key — the most important part
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — a tool
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. key — in music
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. safe — out of danger

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