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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hide · drill · rash · straw · sharp · safe · spring · rock

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spring — a coil
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — the season
  7. drill — the tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — music
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. spring — of water
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. sharp — clever
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rash — a series
  24. hide — animal skin

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