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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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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: roll · lean · club · stock · season · safe · last · saw

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. lean — thin
  5. last — final
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. season — of the year
  11. last — to go on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. club — a group
  15. season — in sport
  16. roll — a list
  17. stock — shares
  18. club — for golf
  19. stock — goods
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — finally
  22. roll — a cake
  23. lean — to rest against
  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