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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
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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: last · coach · safe · foot · cap · stock · straw · cold

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. cap — a lid
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stock — shares
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. cap — of ice
  10. foot — a measure
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — final
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cold — an illness
  17. stock — goods
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. last — finally
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — to go on

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