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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. present — a gift
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. root — of a plant
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stem — to come from
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. root — the cause
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. present — the time now
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fork — in a road
  19. chair — a leader
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — there
  23. root — of a word
  24. wound — an injury

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