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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: safe · shower · lash · cabinet · bear · sharp · file · straw

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bear — the animal
  22. file — a line of people
  23. sharp — clever
  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