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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. fine — all right
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cue — for pool
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rock — music
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. cue — a hint
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. clip — to cut
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wind — moving air

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