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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: safe · row · plane · content · fall · race · pit · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. present — the time now
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fall — the season
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. content — the amount
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — to drop
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. row — to paddle
  19. content — happy
  20. race — a contest
  21. present — a gift
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — in a race
  24. content — videos and posts

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