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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: straw · rush · safe · cue · clip · rest · pitcher · stem

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — hurry
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. clip — for paper
  7. stem — to come from
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. clip — a video
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cue — a hint
  21. clip — to cut
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — to hurry

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