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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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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: straw · object · safe · net · calf · sharp · pass · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. object — a thing
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pass — a permit
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. net — in sport
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — clever
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. staff — employees
  18. object — an aim
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. net — for catching
  22. object — to protest
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. net — after costs

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