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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: hand · mate · clip · object · toast · safe · rash · ground

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. hand — in cards
  3. clip — to cut
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hand — help
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — bread
  14. object — a thing
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — a series
  17. mate — a friend
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. object — an aim
  21. clip — for paper
  22. object — to protest
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — a video

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