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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. last — to go on
  3. shower — rain
  4. rule — government
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. last — finally
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. content — happy
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. last — final
  15. stock — shares
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — goods
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. content — the amount

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