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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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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 · cell · present · drill · land · bark · chip

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. present — there
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stem — to come from
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. present — the time now
  12. drill — army training
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chip — for betting
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. cell — in biology
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cell — a phone
  20. present — a gift
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. land — ground
  24. chip — in a computer

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