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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: rush · rash · fall · safe · stand · tube · season · last

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fall — to drop
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. last — final
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — the season
  19. rush — hurry
  20. last — to go on
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. tube — a container
  24. rush — a thrill

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