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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: wound · band · arm · root · safe · fall · clip · cabinet

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. clip — a video
  3. fall — to drop
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wound — an injury
  6. root — of a word
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — an injury
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — for paper
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a ring
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. clip — to cut
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fall — the season

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