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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: mouse · march · fan · content · arm · safe · staff · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. clip — for paper
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. clip — to cut
  8. march — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. staff — employees
  12. content — happy
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. march — the month
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. march — the month
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — the amount
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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