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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — to go on
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. clip — a video
  10. last — final
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. clip — to cut
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — army training
  19. foot — a measure
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. last — finally
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. safe — a strongbox

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