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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. last — final
  11. cue — a hint
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stem — to come from
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pass — a permit
  24. fine — all right

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