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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. key — the most important part
  5. present — there
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. key — for a lock
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bass — low music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. present — the time now
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — a division
  24. present — a gift

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