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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 · cabinet · stock · spring · tube · racket · sharp · hide

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. sharp — clever
  17. stock — goods
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spring — of water
  22. stock — shares
  23. spring — the season
  24. hide — animal skin

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