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

Word bank: row · safe · leaves · arm · straw · toast · file · rest

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. toast — bread
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rest — a break
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. file — a document
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. file — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  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