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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. file — a line of people
  5. mug — a face
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — hurry
  9. file — a tool
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. file — a document
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — to bear
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mug — a cup
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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