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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
468
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: hand · capital · safe · tube · cabinet · clip · deal · key

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — a video
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. key — the most important part
  6. tube — a container
  7. clip — for paper
  8. hand — in cards
  9. key — in music
  10. capital — money
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. clip — to cut
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a city
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — help

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