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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: jam · straw · safe · mouse · wave · rest · roll · tube

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. roll — a list
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rest — a break
  19. tube — a container
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. straw — a straw man

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