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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.

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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — a video
  7. chest — of your body
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. chest — a box
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chest — of your body
  18. clip — for paper
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — an injury

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