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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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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: arm · rush · safe · wind · wake · net · straw · cabinet

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. net — in sport
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. rush — hurry
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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