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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. spell — magic
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. current — happening now
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — the earth
  13. spell — letters
  14. current — of water
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ground — crushed
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — electric
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ground — a position
  22. mate — a friend
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — a short time

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