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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 120 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: bear · straw · wake · saw · sharp · safe · stick · bay

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wake — a trail
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — the tool
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. sharp — clever
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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