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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cap — of ice
  4. game — a match
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. stem — to come from
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cap — a hat
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. game — wild animals

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