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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
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: cabinet · foot · stem · fan · safe · chest · leaves · clip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. foot — a measure
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chest — a box
  13. chest — of your body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stem — to come from
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. clip — a video
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chest — of your body
  24. safe — out of danger

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