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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — to recline
  3. scale — in music
  4. season — of the year
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. snap — to click
  11. swing — music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. clip — to cut
  18. scale — size or range
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. clip — a video
  23. season — in sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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