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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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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: safe · cabinet · stick · bear · lie · straw · court · wind

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. lie — to recline
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — for sport
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. court — of a king
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wind — moving air
  23. court — of law
  24. wind — moving air

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