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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: pit · band · calf · track · lash · clip · foot · safe

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. clip — a video
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pit — in a race
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. track — a song
  13. clip — to cut
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pit — a hole
  17. band — a music group
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. clip — for paper
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. track — a path
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a ring
  24. track — to keep track

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