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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. game — wild animals
  4. file — a tool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — low music
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. game — a match
  12. current — electric
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. file — a document
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — clever
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bass — the fish
  24. vault — a safe

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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