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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: lean · cap · drill · fine · chest · straw · squash · safe

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — army training
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a hat
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lean — to bend
  17. drill — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. fine — all right
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. squash — the sport
  24. drill — a practice

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