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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: stock · safe · fall · press · wound · jam · last · rule

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. fall — the season
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stock — goods
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — finally
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. last — final
  17. rule — government
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stock — shares
  24. jam — in traffic

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