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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: capital · safe · nail · clip · toast · prune · pass · straw

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — a permit
  6. capital — a city
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. toast — bread
  20. capital — money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. clip — for paper
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. clip — a video

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