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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. clip — a video
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. clip — to cut
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stand — to bear
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. branch — a division
  15. rush — hurry
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. track — to keep track
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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