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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: safe · present · face · march · arm · clip · roll · pit

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. roll — a list
  3. present — there
  4. clip — to cut
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — a video
  11. face — to confront
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — a gift
  16. march — the month
  17. face — part of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. face — to point toward
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. march — music
  22. clip — for paper
  23. march — the month
  24. roll — a cake

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