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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: present · clip · chair · rule · season · fall · lash · safe

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — there
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — to cut
  14. fall — to drop
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a leader
  21. present — a gift
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fall — the season
  24. rule — to rule out

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