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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. firm — decided
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. last — to go on
  11. scale — in music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — size or range
  21. firm — steady
  22. firm — a company
  23. last — finally
  24. safe — out of danger

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