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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: stand · shower · saw · fork · race · staff · fine · stem

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — employees
  5. race — a contest
  6. staff — a stick
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. race — the arms race
  13. fine — all right
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. shower — to wash
  20. race — humankind
  21. stem — to come from
  22. staff — employees
  23. fork — in a road
  24. stand — to bear

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