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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
468
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: chair · safe · deal · wake · mine · clip · sharp · charge

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. clip — a video
  3. chair — a leader
  4. sharp — clever
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. deal — to handle
  9. charge — in control
  10. wake — a trail
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — electricity
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. charge — a price
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. clip — for paper
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — to cut
  24. deal — a big deal

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