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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. clip — a video
  5. pop — music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — a gift
  8. current — happening now
  9. bear — the animal
  10. clip — for paper
  11. pop — soda
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. pop — to visit
  19. board — to get on
  20. current — electric
  21. clip — to cut
  22. present — the time now
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. current — of water

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