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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.

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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: safe · drill · sharp · fall · clip · snap · rash · scale

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rash — a series
  4. fall — the season
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. clip — a video
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. drill — the tool
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. clip — for paper
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — size or range
  15. snap — to click
  16. clip — to cut
  17. scale — in music
  18. fall — to drop
  19. drill — army training
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. drill — a practice

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