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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. last — to go on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. kid — to tease
  8. last — final
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. present — the time now
  12. wake — a trail
  13. kick — in football
  14. present — there
  15. saw — the tool
  16. last — finally
  17. present — a gift
  18. kid — child
  19. clip — for paper
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — to cut
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wake — before a funeral

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