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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 120 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: mate · firm · mine · clip · arm · snap · object · safe

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. clip — for paper
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — an aim
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to click
  7. object — a thing
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. firm — decided
  11. clip — a video
  12. mate — a friend
  13. object — to protest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. mine — for digging
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. mate — to breed
  20. firm — steady
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — to cut
  23. mate — a partner
  24. safe — out of danger

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