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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 116 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: safe · pit · straw · track · nail · pound · press · rash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — a series
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — to keep track
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. pit — a hole
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — a strongbox

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