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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: season · plane · bat · stem · arm · fine · ground · safe

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fine — all right
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. ground — a position
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. season — of the year
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. season — in sport
  24. stem — to come from

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