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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: saw · content · pass · game · temple · safe · straw · staff

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. content — happy
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — the amount
  14. game — wild animals
  15. staff — a stick
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. game — a match
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — a permit

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