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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
468
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: safe · plane · chip · ball · rock · spring · cold · court

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — not warm
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. spring — a coil
  7. chip — to eat
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. court — of law
  16. rock — music
  17. chip — for betting
  18. court — of a king
  19. cold — an illness
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. court — for sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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