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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tear — from crying
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. tear — from crying
  10. clip — a video
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — to get on
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. board — a committee
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. board — a flat piece
  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