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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 116 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — magic
  7. clip — for paper
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. spell — letters
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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