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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · fall · field · object · clip · bear · date · safe

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bear — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. date — the fruit
  6. object — a thing
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. field — farmland
  9. object — to protest
  10. field — a subject
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. can — a tin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. clip — a video
  15. fall — the season
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — to cut
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. clip — for paper
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. object — an aim

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