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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 120 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: race · snap · perch · safe · straw · lash · bay · kid

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. race — a contest
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. race — humankind
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — child
  19. race — the arms race
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. snap — to click
  24. safe — out of danger

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