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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: cue · saw · safe · court · shower · stem · rock · plane

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. shower — rain
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. shower — to wash
  13. cue — for pool
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a hint
  16. court — of a king
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rock — a stone
  23. plane — a tool
  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