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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: clip · bay · straw · fall · safe · fork · ruler · bore

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fall — to drop
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — the season
  22. fork — in a road
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ruler — for measuring

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