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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 120 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: safe · rock · stock · shower · present · fall · last · craft

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — rain
  4. last — final
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. present — a gift
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. present — there
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. last — finally
  12. present — the time now
  13. craft — boats
  14. fall — the season
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rock — a stone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — music
  23. stock — goods
  24. craft — a handicraft

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