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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
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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: sharp · clip · wave · jam · row · vault · land · suit

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. land — to come down
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — for paper
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. row — to paddle
  8. sharp — clever
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. vault — a safe
  12. land — ground
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. land — a country
  15. suit — to fit
  16. row — a line
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. clip — a video
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. suit — clothes

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