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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 116 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: pit · clip · mug · kick · staff · wound · stick · sharp

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. sharp — clever
  7. staff — employees
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. pit — a hole
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — a cup
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — a video
  15. mug — to rob
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. staff — employees
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kick — in football
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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