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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. current — of water
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cell — in biology
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mine — for digging
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. safe — out of danger

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