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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: hide · safe · stick · lash · straw · band · jam · mine

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. band — a music group
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — belonging to me

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