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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. can — a tin
  6. clip — to cut
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — a tin
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. toast — bread

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