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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: bank · pitcher · nail · sharp · straw · ground · safe · lie

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bank — for money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ground — a position
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — the earth
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bank — of a river
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lie — to recline

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