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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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468
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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — to come from
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cell — a phone
  15. march — music
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — the most important part
  24. cell — in a prison

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