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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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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: rash · rush · safe · drill · straw · file · firm · ball

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. firm — a company
  3. ball — a great time
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. firm — steady
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — decided
  11. drill — army training
  12. rash — hasty
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — the tool
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a document
  18. file — a line of people
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a tool

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