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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: key · straw · leaves · game · saw · toast · snap · safe

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. key — in music
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. game — wild animals
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a match
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. toast — bread
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. key — for a lock

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