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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. current — happening now
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. race — humankind
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rest — what's left
  8. clip — a video
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. race — the arms race
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cue — a hint
  14. object — to protest
  15. current — electric
  16. rest — a break
  17. object — a thing
  18. clip — for paper
  19. current — of water
  20. cue — for pool
  21. race — a contest
  22. bark — to shout
  23. object — an aim
  24. bark — of a tree

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