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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — bread
  5. clip — a video
  6. saw — the tool
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. firm — decided
  19. clip — to cut
  20. band — a music group
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. band — a rubber band

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