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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 · straw · mine · vault · last · hide · wax · safe

  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. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. last — to go on
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. vault — a safe
  19. tear — from crying
  20. last — finally
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. last — final
  24. mine — an explosive

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