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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 · clip · stand · wind · suit · kid · stock · perch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. kid — to tease
  7. stock — goods
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — shares
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stand — to bear
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. perch — the fish
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. suit — to fit
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — clothes
  22. clip — to cut
  23. perch — for a bird
  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