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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: bass · net · suit · clip · spell · safe · bay · sharp

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. clip — for paper
  3. bass — low music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. clip — a video
  6. spell — magic
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. net — for catching
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. net — after costs
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bass — the fish
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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