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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: mouse · safe · board · straw · sharp · rest · cabinet · tear

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. board — a committee
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. sharp — clever
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — to get on
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. rest — what's left
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. tear — to rip
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mouse — for a computer

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