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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — final
  3. stem — to come from
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mug — a cup
  6. last — to go on
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — to breed
  15. scale — size or range
  16. last — finally
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a ring
  24. mug — a face

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