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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bark — to shout
  5. track — a song
  6. kick — in football
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. band — a music group
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. track — to keep track
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. current — electric
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — a path
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. current — of water
  24. band — a ring

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