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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rule — a law
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stem — to come from
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. net — for catching
  10. degree — from a university
  11. rule — government
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. net — after costs
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. degree — an amount
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. degree — temperature
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. net — in sport

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