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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. stock — shares
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. season — of the year
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rash — a series
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kid — child

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