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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.

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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: key · firm · clip · hide · mark · sharp · shower · safe

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. key — in music
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a grade
  10. key — the most important part
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — to wash
  13. clip — to cut
  14. clip — a video
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — for paper
  18. sharp — clever
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. shower — rain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. firm — steady

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