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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 116 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: wind · straw · mate · trunk · safe · bay · rest · race

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. race — a contest
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — humankind
  7. mate — a partner
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wind — moving air
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. race — the arms race
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bay — a horse colour

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