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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. row — to paddle
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kid — to tease
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — the most important part
  17. press — to push
  18. row — a line
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. key — in music
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. press — a publisher

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