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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. craft — a skill
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wake — a trail
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. band — a music group
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — clever
  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