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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stand — to bear
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rule — government
  9. clip — to cut
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. clip — a video
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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