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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: safe · clip · scale · kick · object · leaves · lash · march

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. clip — for paper
  3. object — to protest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. object — a thing
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. object — an aim
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. scale — in music
  17. march — music
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — a video
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. scale — size or range
  24. march — the month

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