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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · can · fall · straw · season · game · mine · rest

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — the season
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fall — to drop
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mine — for digging
  18. season — of the year
  19. game — a match
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fall — to drop
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. rest — what's left
  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