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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: clip · mate · sharp · hide · spell · pit · staff · safe

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. spell — letters
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mate — a partner
  7. clip — a video
  8. spell — a short time
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pit — a hole
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — employees
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — clever
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. safe — a strongbox

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