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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. season — of the year
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pass — a permit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bound — tied together
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. clip — a video
  13. season — in sport
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. season — to add flavour
  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