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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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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: club · craft · stem · clip · lean · safe · foot · mug

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mug — a cup
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. stem — to come from
  10. club — for golf
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — for paper
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — thin
  17. mug — to rob
  18. craft — a skill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mug — a face
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. clip — a video
  24. stem — of a plant

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