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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.

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: toast · clip · mouse · last · hand · bear · stand · safe

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bear — the animal
  5. last — final
  6. hand — help
  7. clip — for paper
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. last — finally
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. clip — to cut
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — bread
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bear — the animal
  24. last — to go on

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