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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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. file — a tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. present — a gift
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hand — in cards
  9. band — a music group
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. present — the time now
  13. fine — high quality
  14. file — a document
  15. fine — all right
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — there
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. band — a ring
  24. vault — a safe

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