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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — a law
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. charge — in control
  13. rule — government
  14. charge — electricity
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — a price
  17. current — electric
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — magic
  23. sharp — clever
  24. wound — an injury

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