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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rash — a series
  5. tube — a container
  6. club — a group
  7. object — a thing
  8. club — for golf
  9. current — happening now
  10. object — to protest
  11. rash — hasty
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. current — of water
  15. club — for dancing
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — a video
  18. tube — the underground
  19. clip — for paper
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. object — an aim

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