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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: chip · temple · cell · stick · spring · race · safe · plane

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. race — the arms race
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cell — a phone
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in biology
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — humankind
  11. spring — of water
  12. race — a contest
  13. spring — a coil
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. temple — side of the head

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