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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: snap · hand · scale · key · safe · stick · racket · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. key — for a lock
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. key — the most important part
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hand — in cards
  10. key — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. scale — in music
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — help
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. clip — for paper
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — part of the body

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