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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — clever
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. nail — for a hammer

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