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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: stem · net · bound · present · dip · pitcher · safe · lie

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. present — there
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. bound — tied together
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. stem — to come from
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — for catching
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bound — obliged
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bound — certain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — to recline
  23. present — the time now
  24. pitcher — a jug

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