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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. clip — for paper
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. rest — what's left
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. clip — to cut
  14. roll — a cake
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wax — to grow
  18. roll — a list
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rest — a break
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. clip — a video
  24. bat — the 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