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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: straw · lash · tear · wake · bound · safe · march · suit

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bound — certain
  4. suit — in cards
  5. tear — from crying
  6. suit — clothes
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bound — obliged
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. suit — to fit
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — tied together
  21. wake — a trail
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. march — the month
  24. safe — a strongbox

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