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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — of water
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — for sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. current — electric
  16. field — farmland
  17. current — happening now
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. charge — a price
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. safe — out of danger

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