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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. race — the arms race
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rest — what's left
  11. capital — a city
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. race — humankind
  17. scale — size or range
  18. capital — money
  19. foot — a measure
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. rest — a break
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. race — a contest
  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