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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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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: rest · hand · fall · safe · foot · straw · present · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. rest — what's left
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. firm — a company
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — the season
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. firm — decided
  13. foot — a measure
  14. hand — in cards
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. firm — steady
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rest — a break
  22. present — there
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. present — the time now

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