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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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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 · wind · straw · roll · safe · stem · chair · rock

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. staff — a stick
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. rock — music
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. wind — moving air

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