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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 · season · pit · safe · chest · mate · cabinet · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — in a race
  7. season — in sport
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mate — to breed
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. chest — of your body
  22. file — a document
  23. chest — a box
  24. season — of the year

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