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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — to go on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — the animal
  6. race — humankind
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. snap — to click
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. clip — a video
  11. race — a contest
  12. bear — the animal
  13. suit — to fit
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. last — finally
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. last — final
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — for paper
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. race — the arms race

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