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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: safe · present · season · key · mine · dip · current · race

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. present — there
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. dip — to sink
  5. key — in music
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. race — the arms race
  8. season — in sport
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — of the year
  14. present — the time now
  15. current — happening now
  16. mine — for digging
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. present — a gift
  19. current — electric
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — the most important part
  23. race — a contest
  24. mine — belonging to me

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