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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. safe — a strongbox
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — hurry
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. ground — crushed
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. ground — a position
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mug — a face
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ground — the earth
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mug — a cup
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. branch — a division
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rush — a thrill

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