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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — a company
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. key — for a lock
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. firm — steady
  9. lean — to bend
  10. clip — a video
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — in music
  14. game — a match
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. key — the most important part
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. game — wild animals
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — decided

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