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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. last — final
  6. last — finally
  7. stock — goods
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. season — in sport
  11. last — to go on
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chair — a leader
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — out of danger

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