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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: plane · game · snap · firm · stand · bear · safe · content

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. bear — the animal
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. game — a match
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to click
  10. bear — the animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. firm — decided
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. firm — steady
  19. game — wild animals
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — to bear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a tool

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