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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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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 · cabinet · clip · club · rule · hide · object · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — a video
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rule — government
  13. object — an aim
  14. clip — to cut
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — a thing
  17. club — a group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. club — for dancing
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. object — to protest
  23. club — for golf
  24. hide — animal skin

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