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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. firm — steady
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — a company
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. net — for catching
  10. plane — a tool
  11. band — a music group
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wind — moving air
  15. firm — decided
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. band — a ring
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rule — government

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