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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. current — electric
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a document
  8. fine — high quality
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. file — a tool
  12. fine — all right
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. current — happening now
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — an explosive

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