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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — letters
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stock — goods
  12. mine — for digging
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. stock — shares

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