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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. clip — a video
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — the season
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bound — obliged
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. clip — to cut
  19. capital — a city
  20. fall — to drop
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — certain
  23. clip — for paper
  24. toast — bread

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