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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: march · straw · safe · net · bay · spring · content · vault

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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. straw — dry grass
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. content — the amount
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. content — happy
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spring — the season
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. net — in sport
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. spring — a coil
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — music
  24. spring — of water

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