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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: cue · row · file · safe · season · plane · pop · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — a tool
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a tool
  8. row — a line
  9. season — in sport
  10. cue — a signal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pop — soda
  13. season — of the year
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. file — a document
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. file — a line of people
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. row — to paddle
  22. pop — to visit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pop — music

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