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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 120 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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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: spell · current · plane · hand · chip · sharp · kid · safe

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — for betting
  5. current — happening now
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. current — electric
  10. plane — a tool
  11. hand — help
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. current — of water
  14. spell — letters
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spell — magic
  22. kid — child
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spell — a short time

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