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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: swing · safe · wind · face · fine · temple · straw · fork

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fine — all right
  8. face — part of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. face — to confront
  15. swing — music
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — moving air
  21. swing — in golf
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wind — moving air

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