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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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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: pit · safe · mine · rule · lean · rash · dip · straw

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rash — a series
  9. lean — thin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. rule — government
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — a hole
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rule — a law
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to bend

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