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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: safe · season · toast · wake · cell · bear · rush · ground

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rush — hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. cell — a phone
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. cell — in biology
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. ground — the earth
  18. bear — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. season — of the year
  22. bear — the animal
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. ground — a position

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