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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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468
Word bank
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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — army training
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stem — to come from
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — for catching
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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