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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: clip · staff · safe · bay · stem · firm · wake · hand

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. hand — in cards
  5. firm — steady
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stem — to come from
  8. staff — employees
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. staff — employees
  16. hand — help
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. firm — decided
  22. clip — a video
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. safe — out of danger

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