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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · safe · mine · pop · shower · face · stem · calf

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. face — to confront
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. shower — rain
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. pop — soda
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — with your hand
  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