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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: bound · degree · stand · safe · spell · nail · stem · game

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — wild animals
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bound — certain
  15. degree — temperature
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. degree — an amount
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. bound — obliged
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. game — a match

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