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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: pop · bay · safe · straw · file · coach · kick · clip

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. clip — a video
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. file — a tool
  18. pop — music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. clip — to cut
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — a trainer

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