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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 · last · staff · stem · wake · root · bear · tear

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. staff — a stick
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. last — to go on
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — the cause
  16. last — final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. last — finally
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bear — the 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