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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bound — tied together
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. clip — a video
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pit — a hole
  15. hand — in cards
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cap — of ice
  19. fork — in a road
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — help
  23. pit — in a race
  24. snap — to click

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