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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: racket · safe · chip · mate · tear · nail · clip · stand

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. clip — for paper
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tear — to rip
  13. chip — to eat
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — to bear
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. mate — a friend
  24. tear — from crying

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