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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: bowl · content · land · plane · safe · face · jam · staff

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — part of the head
  16. land — to come down
  17. face — to confront
  18. content — happy
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. content — the amount
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. face — to point toward

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