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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: land · chest · season · mouse · safe · lie · stem · object

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. chest — a box
  9. land — ground
  10. lie — to recline
  11. object — to protest
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — of the year
  18. object — a thing
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. season — in sport

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