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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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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 · march · arm · lash · clip · deal · kick · prune

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — for paper
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. march — music
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. kick — in football
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. clip — to cut
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. clip — a video
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. march — the month

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