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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 · shower · mark · season · present · safe · kick · bat

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. present — the time now
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — in sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — rain
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mark — a trace
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — there
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. present — a gift
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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