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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · stem · drill · safe · object · pound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. drill — army training
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. cell — in biology
  8. object — a thing
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. object — an aim
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. drill — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. safe — out of danger

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