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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: stand · safe · rock · cap · staff · lean · spell · clip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — employees
  3. cap — a hat
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. clip — for paper
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. spell — letters
  13. clip — to cut
  14. staff — a stick
  15. rock — music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — thin
  19. clip — a video
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spell — magic
  23. rock — a stone
  24. staff — employees

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