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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — rain
  6. saw — the tool
  7. toast — bread
  8. clip — for paper
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. firm — a company
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. shower — to wash
  17. firm — decided
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — a video
  22. pop — music
  23. firm — steady
  24. clip — to cut

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