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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: wound · key · date · bear · safe · stem · cap · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — for a lock
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. stem — to come from
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. key — in music
  19. cap — of ice
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wound — an injury
  22. date — the fruit
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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