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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: current · lie · bat · mark · trunk · tube · safe · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. current — of water
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. current — electric
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a trace
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. clip — to cut
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lie — to recline
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — the animal
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — the underground
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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