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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 120 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: straw · board · stem · chest · pass · bulb · safe · cap

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. chest — of your body
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — a permit
  12. board — a committee
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. board — to get on
  19. chest — a box
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pass — to spend time

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