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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 · chest · wake · rock · stock · object · straw · pitcher

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stock — goods
  4. rock — a stone
  5. chest — a box
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. object — an aim
  9. stock — shares
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rock — music
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — a thing
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — to protest
  24. wake — a trail

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