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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — to cut
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. squash — to crush
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bear — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stock — goods

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