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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: temple · wound · mouse · stick · safe · rule · plane · stem

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rule — a law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. wound — an injury
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — for a computer

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