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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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468
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: temple · mine · stem · kid · stand · safe · rush · mouse

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rush — hurry
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mine — for digging
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. kid — child
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. kid — to tease

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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