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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. charge — electricity
  3. last — final
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. last — finally
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. current — of water
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. last — to go on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mine — for digging
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — music

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