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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: game · wake · lean · safe · arm · straw · stick · season

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. season — in sport
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. game — a match
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — thin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a kind of play

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