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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cell — in biology
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. club — a group
  9. race — a contest
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. band — a ring
  16. club — for golf
  17. race — the arms race
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. race — humankind
  21. club — for dancing
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. band — a rubber band

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