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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cue — for pool
  3. firm — a company
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cue — a hint
  7. wound — an injury
  8. net — in sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wake — a trail
  11. firm — steady
  12. cold — an illness
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. net — after costs
  15. current — electric
  16. cold — not warm
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. current — happening now
  20. current — of water
  21. net — for catching
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. firm — decided
  24. cue — a signal

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