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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.

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: content · spring · fine · safe · stand · mouse · straw · wound

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. content — the amount
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fine — all right
  12. wound — an injury
  13. spring — of water
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — high quality
  19. spring — a coil
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. content — happy
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — videos and posts

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