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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 · tube · scale · fan · stick · snap · present · stem

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. present — there
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to click
  10. stem — to come from
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. tube — a container
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — the time now
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. scale — size or range
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. fan — a supporter

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