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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: pass · wind · safe · stock · shower · object · prune · staff

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. object — an aim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. staff — employees
  7. stock — goods
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. object — to protest
  11. staff — a stick
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. staff — employees
  16. shower — to wash
  17. object — a thing
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wind — moving air
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. shower — rain
  24. stock — shares

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