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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 · net · firm · leaves · land · stem · object · mark

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. firm — a company
  3. land — ground
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. land — a country
  6. mark — a grade
  7. land — to come down
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. net — for catching
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. object — to protest
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. firm — decided
  22. mark — a trace
  23. object — a thing
  24. firm — steady

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