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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. present — there
  3. pitch — completely
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. present — a gift
  9. cell — in biology
  10. cell — a phone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. present — the time now
  16. clip — to cut
  17. band — a ring
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. clip — a video
  24. cell — in a prison

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