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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · wind · clip · plane · mug · pitcher · cabinet · safe

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — clever
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — a video
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. clip — to cut
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — to turn a key

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