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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · press · stock · rest · pound · wax · safe · pitcher

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stock — shares
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rest — what's left
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. stock — goods
  24. press — to push

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