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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. clip — a video
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. sharp — clever
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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