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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — farmland
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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