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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: fall · pitcher · fan · rock · rash · straw · safe · saw

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rock — a stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rash — a series
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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