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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. drill — army training
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. arm — part of the body

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