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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · stand · mate · court · hide · rush · season · safe

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — of the year
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. court — of law
  13. mate — a partner
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stand — to bear
  17. season — in sport
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mate — to breed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. safe — a strongbox

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