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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. net — after costs
  4. present — there
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. present — a gift
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. net — in sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. current — electric
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. season — of the year
  22. wound — an injury
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. present — the time now

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