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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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. prune — to trim
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. march — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. march — the month
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. clip — to cut
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — a trace
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mark — a grade
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. march — the month
  21. clip — a video
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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