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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 116 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spring — the season
  8. squash — to crush
  9. lean — to bend
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — the sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. lean — thin
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spring — a coil

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