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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: bay · fall · straw · rock · rush · safe · spell · clip

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rock — music
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. clip — a video
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fall — to drop
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. fall — the season
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. rush — a thrill

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