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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 · ball · land · fall · prune · chest · fine

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. plane — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — a box
  6. fine — all right
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. land — a country
  9. chest — of your body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fine — high quality
  16. prune — to trim
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — ground
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. land — to come down

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