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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  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. last — final
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — goods
  4. season — in sport
  5. last — finally
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. prune — to trim
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — to go on
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. season — of the year
  18. staff — employees
  19. tube — a container
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. staff — employees
  22. tube — the underground
  23. staff — a stick
  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