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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 116 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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — a video
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. capital — money
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — a city
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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