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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stock — goods
  4. spring — the season
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spring — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stock — shares
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. last — finally
  24. coach — a trainer

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