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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 120 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rest — a break
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. land — ground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to point toward
  13. face — to confront
  14. spring — a coil
  15. land — to come down
  16. spring — the season
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. face — part of the head
  20. spring — of water
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. land — a country
  23. snap — to click
  24. rest — what's left

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