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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  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. fine — a penalty
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — electric
  4. fine — high quality
  5. clip — to cut
  6. face — to confront
  7. clip — a video
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. face — to point toward
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — all right
  15. face — part of the head
  16. content — happy
  17. fall — to drop
  18. current — of water
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. fall — to drop
  21. content — the amount
  22. fall — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  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