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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: rock · safe · cell · mouse · field · pass · stem · wave

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. field — a subject
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. field — farmland
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — music
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. field — for sport
  24. stem — to come from

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