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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. sharp — clever
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. snap — to click
  9. land — ground
  10. clip — to cut
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. land — to come down
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. clip — a video
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rock — a stone

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