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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 120 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: can · straw · safe · wind · track · chip · wave · fan

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. track — a song
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. wind — moving air
  7. track — a path
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — to be able to
  18. track — to keep track
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. chip — in a computer

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