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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: sharp · clip · wind · date · spell · band · calf · nail

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a music group
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — for paper
  7. spell — letters
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — to cut
  10. band — a ring
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. date — the fruit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — a short time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — clever

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