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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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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: safe · hide · mark · pass · pit · file · straw · row

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. file — a tool
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. file — a document
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pit — in a race
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. pit — a hole

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