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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fine — high quality
  3. suit — clothes
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stock — shares
  6. fine — all right
  7. suit — to fit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mine — for digging
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. last — final
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to click
  17. last — finally
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stock — goods
  21. last — to go on
  22. rash — a series
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. safe — a strongbox

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