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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: safe · fan · stem · mate · net · land · kid · craft

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. land — to come down
  3. kid — child
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mate — to breed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. craft — a skill
  9. land — a country
  10. kid — to tease
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mate — a friend
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. net — for catching
  21. land — ground
  22. craft — boats
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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