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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 116 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: deal · kick · fine · clip · mine · safe · key · saw

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. key — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. clip — a video
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — for digging
  9. key — the most important part
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. saw — the tool
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. fine — all right
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. key — for a lock
  21. saw — the tool
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. kick — in football
  24. fine — high quality

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