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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.

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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: mate · file · safe · lie · bay · rock · content · stem

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. content — happy
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a document
  5. mate — a friend
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. file — a line of people
  15. stem — to come from
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rock — music
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. file — a tool
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — the amount
  24. bay — a horse colour

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