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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — completely
  8. cap — of ice
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. clip — a video
  15. cap — a hat
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. cue — a signal
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cue — for pool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — a hint

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