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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 is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. clip — a video
  3. cue — for pool
  4. current — happening now
  5. bound — obliged
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. degree — an amount
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. current — of water
  11. spell — magic
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bound — certain
  14. current — electric
  15. bound — tied together
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. spell — a short time
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — a hint
  21. degree — temperature
  22. spell — letters
  23. degree — from a university
  24. clip — for paper

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