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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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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 · net · rash · stock · toast · cold · wake · rest

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. stock — shares
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rest — a break
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rash — a series
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cold — not warm
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. wake — a trail
  18. net — after costs
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — bread
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — what's left
  24. safe — out of danger

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