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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. pass — a permit
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. clip — for paper
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. clip — to cut
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — a video
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — in music
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bank — of a river
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. scale — for weighing

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