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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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468
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: snap · fine · safe · straw · march · date · spell · stem

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. march — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — magic
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. march — the month
  22. spell — a short time
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. snap — to click

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