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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: straw · fall · ruler · rush · safe · cell · bound · arm

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bound — certain
  16. cell — a phone
  17. fall — the season
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bound — obliged

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