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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: sharp · race · straw · snap · cabinet · pound · safe · rest

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. race — a contest
  14. rest — a break
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. snap — to click
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. race — the arms race
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. race — humankind

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