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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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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — hurry
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bulb — for light
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — music
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. swing — in golf
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bulb — for light

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