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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: safe · spring · leaves · swing · mine · stem · game · ruler

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — of water
  7. stem — to come from
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — a match
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. spring — the season
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. swing — in golf
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ruler — for measuring

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