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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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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. file — a tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a document
  11. sharp — clever
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. current — of water
  14. root — the cause
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. root — of a word
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. current — happening now
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. swing — to play on
  22. current — electric
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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