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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: safe · plane · wound · press · clip · leaves · roll · fall

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — to cut
  7. wound — an injury
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. roll — a cake
  10. roll — a list
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fall — the season
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — to drop
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — to push

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