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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — help
  8. track — a song
  9. hand — in cards
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — a stick
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. drill — army training
  16. track — to keep track
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. drill — the tool

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