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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: spring · straw · leaves · pitcher · safe · game · chip · stick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. game — a match
  4. chip — to eat
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — of water
  11. game — wild animals
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. spring — the season
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. safe — out of danger

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