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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.

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: saw · safe · key · ground · date · bear · straw · bat

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — the fruit
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. key — in music
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. ground — crushed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. ground — a position
  23. bat — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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