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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.

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: clip · wake · chip · safe · hand · cell · leaves · mug

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — a face
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. cell — a phone
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. chip — for betting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chip — to eat
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wake — a trail
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. clip — a video

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