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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: present · march · safe · toast · stick · chip · rest · stem

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. present — the time now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. present — there
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — for betting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. march — the month
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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