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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — to play on
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bass — the fish
  6. rule — government
  7. rule — a law
  8. cell — a phone
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. swing — music
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. swing — in golf
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. cell — in biology
  18. current — of water
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — to wash
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bass — low music
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. rule — to rule out

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