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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 116 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: fork · bat · rush · wake · straw · safe · shower · snap

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rush — hurry
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. bat — the animal
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. snap — to click
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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