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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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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: chip · bear · safe · staff · pitch · wave · straw · craft

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. staff — employees
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. staff — a stick
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bear — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — boats
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. straw — a straw man

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