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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: cell · bore · stem · calf · hand · safe · ground · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hand — help
  4. cell — in biology
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bore — to drill
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. staff — employees
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. calf — a young animal

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