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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. last — final
  4. clip — for paper
  5. last — to go on
  6. row — to paddle
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — to confront
  13. prune — to trim
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. clip — to cut
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. prune — to trim
  18. last — finally
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. row — a line
  24. stand — to bear

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