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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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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: stem · board · current · safe · straw · fall · drill · sharp

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. current — of water
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. drill — army training
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — the tool
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — electric
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. sharp — clever
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stem — to come from

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