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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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Word bank
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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: current · cabinet · season · snap · fine · hand · safe · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. season — of the year
  8. fine — all right
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — electric
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. current — happening now
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. current — of water
  16. hand — help
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. snap — to click
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hand — in cards
  24. season — in sport

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