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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — music
  3. hand — in cards
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — help
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. land — to come down
  15. pop — to visit
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. firm — a company
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — decided
  22. land — ground
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. land — a country

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