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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — a video
  3. field — for sport
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. clip — to cut
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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