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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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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: club · safe · hand · spell · bass · rock · rush · straw

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — letters
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hand — in cards
  6. bass — the fish
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. rock — a stone
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. club — a group
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rush — hurry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hand — help

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