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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stem — to come from
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to sink
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bound — certain
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. stem — of a plant

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