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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — shares
  3. clip — a video
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — for paper
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. band — a ring
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. clip — to cut
  24. safe — out of danger

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