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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. file — a line of people
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. file — a document
  7. current — of water
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. current — happening now
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. object — to protest
  13. wake — a trail
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ball — a great time
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. object — an aim
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. object — a thing
  24. current — electric

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