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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
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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: bank · straw · wake · saw · deal · safe · sharp · foot

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bank — of a river
  9. foot — a measure
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. saw — the tool
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. sharp — clever
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — an agreement

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