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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — rain
  4. clip — to cut
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. tube — a container
  8. shower — to wash
  9. capital — a city
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — a video
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rest — a break
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. straw — a straw man

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