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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: stem · cell · safe · root · pass · lean · stick · tear

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cell — in biology
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. cell — a phone
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pass — a permit
  10. root — the cause
  11. tear — from crying
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — to rip
  23. root — of a word
  24. tear — from crying

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