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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. clip — to cut
  5. track — a song
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rest — a break
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. perch — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. track — a path
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — clothes
  24. clip — a video

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