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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mark · snap · clip · sharp · chair · can · ground · safe

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. can — a tin
  9. snap — to click
  10. sharp — clever
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. chair — a leader
  15. ground — crushed
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. can — a tin
  18. mark — a trace
  19. ground — a position
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. can — to be able to
  24. mark — a grade

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