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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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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: ground · straw · bay · arm · fork · safe · rash · firm

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. firm — steady
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. firm — a company
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. firm — decided
  18. ground — a position
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fork — in a road
  21. rash — a series
  22. ground — crushed
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ground — the earth

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