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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — clever
  5. clip — a video
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. clip — for paper
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — soda
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. clip — to cut
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pop — to visit
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. pop — music

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