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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: straw · deal · tube · toast · fan · season · safe · stock

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. toast — bread
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. deal — to handle
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. tube — a container
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. season — of the year
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stock — goods
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. tube — in a tire

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