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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: fall · spring · lean · mouse · safe · saw · clip · trunk

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. lean — to bend
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — thin
  7. spring — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — to cut
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. clip — a video
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — a coil
  21. saw — the tool
  22. fall — the season
  23. spring — the season
  24. trunk — of a car

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