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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a match
  7. charge — in control
  8. charge — electricity
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. charge — a price
  21. game — wild animals
  22. net — after costs
  23. bulb — of a plant
  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