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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. foot — a measure
  5. fall — the season
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — an injury
  11. clip — a video
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — to drop
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. clip — for paper
  21. spell — letters
  22. fall — to drop
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. spell — a short time

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