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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 120 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: firm · dip · trunk · wind · lie · spring · safe · stem

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. wind — moving air
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. firm — a company
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. firm — decided
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. spring — the season
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — steady
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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