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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: hide · land · rush · firm · band · stem · safe · mug

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. stem — to come from
  5. land — a country
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — a face
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. firm — decided
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. land — ground
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. band — a ring
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — to keep secret

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