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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: drill · safe · straw · mate · charge · chest · coach · lash

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. chest — of your body
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — a price
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. mate — to breed
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. charge — electricity
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. drill — army training
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mate — a friend
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. chest — a box
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chest — of your body

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