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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — a face
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mug — to rob
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stock — shares
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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