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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rule — government
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a grade
  7. craft — boats
  8. clip — a video
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bass — the fish
  18. cold — an illness
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bass — low music
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — to rule out

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