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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. root — of a word
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — a video
  8. firm — a company
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. vault — a safe
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. firm — decided
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — to cut
  20. firm — steady
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. clip — for paper
  24. swing — to play on

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