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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. chest — a box
  4. wake — a trail
  5. chest — of your body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — goods
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. can — to be able to
  12. object — to protest
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. object — an aim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. chest — of your body
  22. tube — a container
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stock — shares

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