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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. staff — employees
  4. row — to paddle
  5. file — a document
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. craft — boats
  11. rule — government
  12. row — a line
  13. file — a line of people
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. rush — hurry
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. rule — a law
  19. craft — a skill
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. file — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. staff — employees

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