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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: roll · clip · date · staff · rash · stock · safe · nail

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. date — the fruit
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. staff — employees
  7. roll — a cake
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rash — a series
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — shares
  14. rash — hasty
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — a video
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. staff — employees
  22. roll — a list
  23. clip — for paper
  24. stock — goods

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