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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · pitcher · object · straw · saw · game · cabinet · row

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. object — an aim
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. object — to protest
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — to paddle

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