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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — a video
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. object — an aim
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kick — in football
  8. dip — to sink
  9. object — a thing
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. object — to protest
  17. clip — to cut
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pit — in a race
  24. kick — a thrill

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