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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 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. land — ground
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — a series
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. last — finally
  14. land — a country
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — to come down
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — to eat
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — ministers

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