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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hand — help
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. capital — a city
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. hand — in cards

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