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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 116 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: plane · shower · court · mate · safe · land · prune · hand

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — help
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. land — ground
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — a country
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. plane — a tool
  15. court — of a king
  16. mate — to breed
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law
  19. prune — to trim
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — to come down
  22. mate — a partner
  23. shower — rain
  24. hand — in cards

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