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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mark — a grade
  6. lean — thin
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wound — an injury
  15. swing — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stand — to bear
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mark — to pay attention

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