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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: safe · land · cabinet · fan · snap · stem · tube · kick

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. tube — the underground
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. snap — to click
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — in football
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. land — ground
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. tube — a container
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stem — to come from
  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