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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 it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — the time now
  4. stock — goods
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rock — a stone
  7. present — there
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stock — shares
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stock — a soup base
  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