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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: plane · ball · fan · sharp · fine · cell · last · safe

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. sharp — clever
  3. fine — all right
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. last — finally
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cell — a phone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. ball — a dance
  23. last — to go on
  24. sharp — exactly

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