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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — a practice
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. current — electric
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. current — of water
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — to grow
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. sharp — clever
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — help
  23. drill — army training
  24. ball — a dance

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