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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wake — a trail
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. staff — employees
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wind — to turn a key

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