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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wake — a trail
  6. foot — a measure
  7. club — a group
  8. current — happening now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. current — of water
  16. mark — a grade
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. club — for golf
  24. mark — a trace

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