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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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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: rash · safe · stand · toast · straw · pit · spring · tear

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. tear — from crying
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — of water
  11. rash — hasty
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. tear — from crying
  20. toast — bread
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tear — to rip
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. toast — the most admired

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