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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. kick — in football
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wake — a trail
  8. file — a line of people
  9. face — to confront
  10. file — a tool
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. fine — all right
  13. clip — a video
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stock — goods
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. clip — to cut
  23. file — a document
  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