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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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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: bowl · clip · rule · safe · fine · pitcher · pass · lash

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. clip — to cut
  3. fine — all right
  4. clip — for paper
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rule — a law
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. clip — a video
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rule — government

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