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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. kid — to tease
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. last — final
  7. kid — child
  8. mate — to breed
  9. last — to go on
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — of water
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. current — electric
  23. last — finally
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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