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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.

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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: bat · race · rock · staff · racket · straw · safe · spring

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — the season
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. staff — a stick
  9. race — a contest
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spring — of water
  12. staff — employees
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. race — the arms race
  18. staff — employees
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — music
  23. race — humankind
  24. bat — in an idiom

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