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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — clever
  5. scale — size or range
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. suit — in cards
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. scale — in music
  18. file — a line of people
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. file — a document
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. suit — clothes

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