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

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. clip — a video
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. clip — for paper
  6. key — in music
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. spring — of water
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — high quality
  21. key — for a lock
  22. spring — the season
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spring — a coil

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