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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: fan · lie · hand · stem · racket · bowl · safe · pitch

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. hand — help
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — completely
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. stem — to come from
  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