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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: safe · wake · staff · straw · trunk · arm

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. staff — a stick
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. staff — employees
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail

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