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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. club — a group
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. club — for dancing
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bass — low music
  11. spell — magic
  12. last — to go on
  13. wax — to grow
  14. last — final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bass — the fish
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — letters
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — a short time
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. club — for golf

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