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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 120 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bass — low music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — a video
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. calf — a young animal
  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