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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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 — a strongbox
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — the time now
  5. chair — a leader
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. present — there
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — obliged
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. present — a gift
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bound — tied together
  23. safe — out of danger
  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