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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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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: foot · wave · rash · straw · safe · last · face · pitch

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — completely
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rash — hasty
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. face — part of the head
  16. last — to go on
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. face — to confront
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — finally

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