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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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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 · hand · vault · safe · track · season · rash · bass

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. hand — help
  8. vault — a safe
  9. season — in sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — a series
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. season — of the year
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — to keep track
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bass — the fish
  24. track — a path

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