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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 116 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: straw · scale · track · cell · stem · club · safe · rush

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — a path
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. club — for dancing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. scale — in music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. cell — in biology
  20. club — a group
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. club — for golf

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