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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. roll — a list
  4. clip — a video
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. key — in music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rule — government
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bat — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rule — a law
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. clip — for paper

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