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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bound — certain
  3. cap — a lid
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chest — a box
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — of ice
  10. drill — army training
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bound — obliged
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. drill — a practice
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. chest — of your body

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