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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. tube — the underground
  4. fine — all right
  5. clip — for paper
  6. race — a contest
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rash — hasty
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fine — high quality
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bound — certain
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. tube — a container
  19. race — humankind
  20. bound — obliged
  21. race — the arms race
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — a series
  24. safe — a strongbox

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