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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.

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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: safe · file · fine · clip · pop · board · dip · sharp

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pop — to visit
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pop — music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pop — soda
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — a video
  14. clip — to cut
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a document
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a line of people
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. clip — for paper
  24. fine — a penalty

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