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

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — a container
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. season — of the year
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stem — to come from
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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