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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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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: staff · row · hand · leaves · ground · stock · present · safe

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — a line
  4. ground — crushed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. hand — help
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — the time now
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — a position
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. stock — goods
  23. present — there
  24. safe — a strongbox

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