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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: safe · stem · chip · cue · saw · wound · net · kid

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. net — in sport
  8. stem — to come from
  9. cue — a hint
  10. saw — the tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — after costs
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. wound — an injury

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