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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 116 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: cell · stem · drill · safe · object · pound · season · chair

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. drill — army training
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. object — a thing
  8. drill — a practice
  9. object — an aim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. season — of the year
  13. cell — in biology
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. drill — the tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. object — to protest
  22. stem — to come from
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pound — to hit hard

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