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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.

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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: can · mark · stick · pitcher · wound · clip · safe · spring

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. clip — to cut
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — of water
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wound — an injury
  17. clip — a video
  18. spring — a coil
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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