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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: lie · charge · wake · rash · safe · fan · stock · stick

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. rash — a series
  14. stock — goods
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rash — hasty
  23. charge — in control
  24. safe — out of danger

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