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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · safe · rush · straw · bass · bulb · snap · mine

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bass — low music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. rush — hurry
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to click
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — belonging to me

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