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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: safe · straw · cabinet · rule · hide · lash · can · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. can — to be able to

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