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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 120 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: mug · chair · safe · arm · club · straw · snap · tube

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. club — for golf
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mug — to rob
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. club — for dancing
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mug — a cup
  14. club — a group
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. snap — to click
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. tube — a container
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mug — a face

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