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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.

Make a worksheet

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: staff · file · calf · last · hide · clip · plane · safe

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. staff — a stick
  3. last — to go on
  4. clip — a video
  5. staff — employees
  6. last — finally
  7. clip — to cut
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — a tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a line of people
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — for paper
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. last — final
  21. file — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hide — to keep secret

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