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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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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: safe · land · present · pound · stem · fine · rule · kid

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. present — the time now
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. present — a gift
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. kid — to tease
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — government
  15. land — a country
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — a weight
  18. fine — high quality
  19. present — there
  20. rule — a law
  21. fine — all right
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — of a plant
  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