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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. clip — to cut
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. cap — a lid
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cap — a hat
  11. clip — a video
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. wake — a trail
  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