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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. race — humankind
  4. stem — to come from
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. race — the arms race
  12. bat — the animal
  13. can — a tin
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. can — a tin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. can — to be able to
  21. race — a contest
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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