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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 116 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: hand · safe · current · mate · swing · fork · cue · wound

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fork — in a road
  12. swing — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mate — a friend
  24. current — of water

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