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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rush — hurry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. plane — a tool
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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