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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: drill · stem · temple · bat · sharp · safe · stand · fan

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. sharp — clever
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bat — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. stem — to come from
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. drill — army training
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — side of the head
  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