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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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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 · cold · band · bore · leaves · pass · firm

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — to come from
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pass — a permit
  10. band — a music group
  11. cold — an illness
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — decided
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. band — a ring
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bore — to tire

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