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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: nail · net · cue · dip · clip · lie · season · safe

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. cue — a signal
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cue — for pool
  10. net — for catching
  11. clip — to cut
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to sink
  14. season — of the year
  15. lie — to recline
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — a hint
  19. season — in sport
  20. net — in sport
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. clip — a video
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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