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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a music group
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. club — a group
  14. clip — a video
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bore — to drill
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. clip — for paper

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