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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: tear · lash · land · drill · straw · safe · bay · root

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — a practice
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. land — ground
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. drill — army training
  15. tear — from crying
  16. root — of a word
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. root — of a plant
  20. drill — the tool
  21. land — a country
  22. tear — to rip
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. straw — dry grass

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