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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: clip · firm · rush · cap · mark · mug · tear · sharp

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. tear — from crying
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — a company
  7. tear — from crying
  8. clip — a video
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rush — hurry
  11. mug — a face
  12. clip — for paper
  13. firm — steady
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. cap — of ice
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mark — a trace
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cap — a hat
  22. mug — a cup
  23. cap — a lid
  24. clip — to cut

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