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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — a country
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mate — a partner
  13. object — a thing
  14. clip — to cut
  15. chair — a leader
  16. clip — a video
  17. land — ground
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. object — an aim
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. land — to come down
  24. mate — a friend

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