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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: rash · calf · clip · fan · plane · safe · drill · club

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. club — for golf
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. clip — to cut
  6. clip — a video
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. clip — for paper
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. club — for dancing
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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