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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. prune — to trim
  10. current — happening now
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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