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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. file — a document
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — electric
  6. current — happening now
  7. bound — certain
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. file — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. current — of water
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bound — tied together

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