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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stem — to come from
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kick — in football
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. face — part of the head
  16. kid — child
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. face — to confront

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