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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bound — tied together
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. ball — a great time
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bound — certain
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — for digging
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. board — to get on
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — to cool the air

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