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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. clip — to cut
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — a video
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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