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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.

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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. pass — to spend time
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — an injury
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — a permit
  18. net — after costs
  19. wound — an injury
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. net — for catching
  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