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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. file — a line of people
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a tool
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cap — a lid
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. sharp — clever
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — happening now
  20. cap — a hat
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cap — of ice
  24. file — a document

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