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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: safe · cap · drill · chest · arm · wave · stem · bore

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stem — to come from
  3. chest — of your body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — the tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. cap — of ice
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bore — to tire
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. drill — army training
  21. chest — a box
  22. bore — to drill
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. arm — a part of something

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