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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: safe · bat · rock · board · fine · stem · nail · staff

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. staff — employees
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. staff — a stick
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — music
  11. board — a committee
  12. rock — a stone
  13. fine — all right
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. staff — employees
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. bat — for baseball

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