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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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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: bass · stand · rule · safe · straw · sharp · current · key

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bass — low music
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — electric
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. rule — government
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bass — the fish
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. rule — a law
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. key — for a lock
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stand — on your feet

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