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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: straw · object · nail · safe · content · kid · bass · land

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. land — ground
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bass — low music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. land — to come down
  10. object — an aim
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. content — happy
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. content — the amount
  18. kid — child
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — a straw man

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