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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. race — a contest
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — certain
  9. rock — music
  10. land — ground
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — to come down
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — to come from
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. race — humankind
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bound — obliged

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