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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — in control
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — electricity
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. roll — a cake
  14. charge — a price
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. roll — a list
  18. clip — to cut
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. saw — the tool
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lean — thin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. roll — on a roll

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