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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: safe · straw · present · pop · race · mark · craft · wind

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — a gift
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. pop — soda
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pop — to visit
  9. craft — boats
  10. race — the arms race
  11. present — the time now
  12. race — a contest
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. present — there
  15. race — humankind
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pop — music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wind — moving air

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