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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: bat · dip · kick · safe · rest · craft · rush · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. dip — to sink
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. craft — boats
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — in football
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bat — in an idiom

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