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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. key — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rest — what's left
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mate — a partner
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wind — moving air
  14. key — for a lock
  15. mate — a friend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. stand — to bear
  18. charge — a price
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rest — a break
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — electricity

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