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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. land — a country
  4. fine — all right
  5. land — to come down
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — happening now
  9. hand — help
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — high quality
  12. sharp — clever
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. land — ground
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. hand — in cards
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chest — a box
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — of your body

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