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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · chair · stock · straw · plane · fork · can · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. stock — shares
  13. chair — a leader
  14. can — a tin
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. stock — goods
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. plane — a tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. safe — a strongbox

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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