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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: jam · fine · drill · bore · chip · stem · safe · staff

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — all right
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — high quality
  11. staff — a stick
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — employees
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — to eat
  24. jam — in traffic

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