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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — to get on
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — for money
  8. clip — a video
  9. bank — of a river
  10. clip — to cut
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tear — from crying
  13. board — a committee
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — from crying
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — money
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. tube — a container
  24. tear — to rip

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