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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 120 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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — the earth
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. ball — a dance
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — an injury
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ground — crushed
  23. dip — to sink
  24. stem — to come from

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