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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: straw · plane · bark · jam · lean · dip · race · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. race — the arms race
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — a tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — thin
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lean — to bend
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — humankind

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