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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spring — of water
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rule — government
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spring — a coil
  9. suit — clothes
  10. current — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. staff — employees
  15. current — electric
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. suit — to fit
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. current — happening now
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. suit — in cards

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