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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: stand · temple · chair · safe · season · snap · pitch · stem

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. season — of the year
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — in sport
  14. pitch — completely
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. chair — a leader
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. snap — to click
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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