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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.

Make a worksheet

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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mine — for digging
  4. present — there
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — a gift
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — an injury
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mark — a grade
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a trace
  16. key — in music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — for a lock

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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