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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — to cut
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — of a plant
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. clip — a video
  12. track — a song
  13. track — to keep track
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bound — tied together
  16. root — the cause
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. clip — for paper
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. track — a path
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. root — of a word

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