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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — for catching
  5. clip — a video
  6. degree — temperature
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. degree — from a university
  15. fall — the season
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — for paper
  19. degree — an amount
  20. net — in sport
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. net — after costs

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