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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spring — of water
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. clip — a video
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. clip — to cut
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. scale — in music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. clip — for paper

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