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

Word bank: safe · clip · charge · chip · snap · saw · bay · drill

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. charge — electricity
  4. chip — to eat
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. saw — the tool
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. charge — a price
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — army training
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. clip — a video
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. chip — for betting

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