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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chest — a box
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fork — in a road
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. chest — of your body
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. chest — of your body
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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