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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — a phone
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. current — of water
  7. degree — from a university
  8. snap — to click
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stem — to come from
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — happening now
  19. cell — in biology
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. current — electric
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. hide — to keep secret

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