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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 116 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: present · pitcher · rush · kid · mouse · cell · safe · straw

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — there
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. cell — in biology
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cell — a phone

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