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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: bowl · safe · mug · last · arm · stock · rush · dip

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stock — goods
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stock — shares
  18. last — to go on
  19. dip — to sink
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. last — final
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. mug — a face
  24. arm — part of the body

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