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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · stem · kid · safe · board · land · arm · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. land — to come down
  10. board — a committee
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. land — a country
  16. stem — to come from
  17. land — ground
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mine — for digging
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — to get on

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