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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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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: cold · sharp · safe · cue · can · race · toast · stem

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. cue — for pool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. can — to be able to
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. toast — bread
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. can — a tin
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cold — an illness
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. can — a tin
  17. race — a contest
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. race — the arms race
  20. stem — to come from
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cue — a hint
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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