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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — a trace
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. track — a path
  10. object — a thing
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — a short time
  16. spell — magic
  17. track — a song
  18. clip — a video
  19. spell — letters
  20. clip — to cut
  21. track — to keep track
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. object — an aim
  24. mark — a grade

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