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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: stock · straw · hide · rush · stem · key · safe · spell

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — the most important part
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. spell — a short time
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stock — shares
  21. rush — hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stock — goods

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