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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: leaves · toast · jam · spell · safe · stem · land · nail

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. land — ground
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spell — letters
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — bread
  11. spell — a short time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — to come down
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — to come from
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. spell — magic
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. leaves — lets stay

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