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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 120 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
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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: degree · fan · plane · ground · charge · mate · safe · race

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. charge — in control
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. race — humankind
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — crushed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — from a university
  14. mate — a partner
  15. degree — an amount
  16. ground — the earth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. ground — a position
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. degree — temperature
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. race — the arms race

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