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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. track — a song
  8. sharp — clever
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bound — certain
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — to protest
  15. kick — in football
  16. object — an aim
  17. bound — obliged
  18. stem — to come from
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bound — tied together
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. object — a thing
  24. track — a path

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