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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: safe · hide · land · object · clip · saw · bore · jam

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — a thing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. object — an aim
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. clip — a video
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. land — a country
  15. object — to protest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. land — ground
  21. clip — for paper
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. jam — in traffic

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