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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: toast · field · safe · cold · stem · spring · saw · rush

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. field — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spring — of water
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. field — farmland
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — a subject
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. stem — to come from
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spring — the season
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. toast — bread
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — hurry
  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