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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. roll — a cake
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. craft — boats
  17. roll — a list
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. clip — a video

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