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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. clip — to cut
  8. band — a music group
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. plane — a tool
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. kick — in football
  15. band — a ring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pit — a hole
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pit — in a race
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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