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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: plane · hide · kid · stem · stick · safe · firm · date

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. date — the fruit
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. firm — decided
  12. kid — to tease
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. plane — a tool
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kid — child
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. firm — steady
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — of a plant

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