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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. clip — a video
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stock — goods
  12. mate — to breed
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. net — after costs
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — to cut
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — shares

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