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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: safe · bear · pit · drill · lash · racket · straw · content

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — the amount
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — army training
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. content — happy
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — the animal

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