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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. board — a committee
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — to wash
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. board — to get on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. clip — for paper
  21. shower — rain
  22. clip — a video
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. firm — decided

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