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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. clip — a video
  14. mark — a grade
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cue — a signal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mark — a trace
  24. calf — of the leg

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