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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: wake · kid · safe · lean · race · firm · straw · bulb

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kid — to tease
  4. firm — a company
  5. lean — thin
  6. kid — child
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. firm — decided
  9. race — a contest
  10. lean — to bend
  11. race — the arms race
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. firm — steady
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bulb — for light
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wake — a trail
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. race — humankind
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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