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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 · staff · field · last · safe · straw · file · can

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. field — farmland
  4. last — to go on
  5. file — a tool
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. field — for sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — to be able to
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. last — final
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. staff — employees
  22. last — finally
  23. field — a subject
  24. file — a document

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