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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mug — a cup
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. drill — a practice
  9. saw — the tool
  10. roll — a list
  11. roll — a cake
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. date — the fruit
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mug — to rob
  21. drill — army training
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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