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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — army training
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. clip — to cut
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. craft — boats
  21. current — of water
  22. clip — a video
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. current — electric

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