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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 124 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — thin
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — to eat
  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