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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: wake · straw · tear · lean · pitch · temple · safe · toast

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. lean — thin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. tear — to rip
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wake — a trail
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. tear — from crying
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to bend
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. toast — bread
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. safe — a strongbox

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