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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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Word bank
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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: hand · safe · saw · cue · pitcher · straw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cue — a signal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — in cards
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. saw — 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