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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: safe · lie · straw · foot · staff · toast · clip · bat

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. clip — a video
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. clip — to cut
  7. staff — employees
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. staff — employees
  13. lie — to recline
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — a measure
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — bread
  18. bat — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. staff — a stick
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. toast — the most admired

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