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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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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: pop · ground · suit · lash · march · clip · calf · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ground — a position
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — music
  8. clip — a video
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pop — soda
  13. march — the month
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. clip — to cut
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. suit — in cards
  23. march — music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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