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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: mine · stem · can · chest · safe · date · kid · suit

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. date — the fruit
  6. kid — child
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. can — a tin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. suit — clothes
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. can — to be able to
  17. mine — for digging
  18. suit — in cards
  19. chest — of your body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stem — a stem cell

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