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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: cold · fork · cell · stick · safe · ground · wave · plane

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. ground — the earth
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ground — a position
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. fork — in a road
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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