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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: safe · spell · key · clip · tube · cell · mate · leaves

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tube — a container
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spell — magic
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — in music
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cell — in biology
  14. tube — the underground
  15. clip — a video
  16. spell — letters
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a partner
  22. key — for a lock
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cell — a phone

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