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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — to wash
  6. file — a document
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. roll — a cake
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fine — all right
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. shower — rain
  16. roll — a list
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — clothes
  23. object — a thing
  24. safe — a strongbox

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