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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. clip — a video
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — certain
  11. bark — to shout
  12. saw — the tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bound — obliged
  20. deal — to handle
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bound — tied together

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