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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: safe · stem · bank · kid · sharp · date · cue · face

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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. face — part of the head
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bank — for money
  7. sharp — clever
  8. face — to point toward
  9. cue — a hint
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. face — to confront
  13. kid — child
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kid — to tease
  19. date — the fruit
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. cue — for pool

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