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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: squash · roll · safe · arm · cap · prune · plane · bay

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. roll — a list
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. squash — to crush
  18. cap — of ice
  19. roll — a cake
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cap — a lid

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