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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. field — for sport
  7. clip — a video
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. rush — hurry
  15. field — a subject
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. squash — the sport
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  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