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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. clip — to cut
  3. object — an aim
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. mug — a cup
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. charge — in control
  10. clip — a video
  11. last — to go on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. clip — for paper
  16. perch — the fish
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. charge — a price
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. charge — electricity

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