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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a path
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a song
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — for catching
  13. bore — to drill
  14. net — after costs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. current — happening now
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. current — electric
  21. net — in sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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