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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pop — soda
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. ground — crushed
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. spring — the season
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ground — a position
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — the tool

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