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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 120 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. last — finally
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. craft — a skill
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — final
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wake — a trail
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. chair — a leader
  22. sharp — clever
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bore — to drill

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