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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — happening now
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. sharp — clever
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. file — a document
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pit — a hole
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. safe — out of danger

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