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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: face · stem · prune · stick · land · ball · safe · scale

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stem — to come from
  6. land — ground
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. face — part of the head
  10. face — to confront
  11. scale — in music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. face — to point toward
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a dance
  20. prune — to trim
  21. scale — size or range
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — a country
  24. stem — of a plant

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