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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: mug · safe · plane · racket · rest · stick · fan · straw

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rest — a break
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mug — a face
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rest — what's left
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mug — to rob
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fan — a supporter

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