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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · roll · safe · field · can · bear · clip · nail

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. field — a subject
  3. clip — a video
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — the animal
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lie — to recline
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. field — farmland
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. field — for sport
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — a tin

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