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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. stem — to come from
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pop — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pop — soda
  14. mark — a grade
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. clip — to cut
  17. mark — a trace
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. clip — a video
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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