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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · bay · row · sharp · current · pound · safe · content

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — of water
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. content — happy
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. pound — a weight
  19. content — the amount
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. row — a line
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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