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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · sharp · court · wind · kid · safe · wake · net

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — moving air
  4. net — for catching
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wind — moving air
  11. kid — to tease
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kid — child
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. net — in sport
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. court — of law
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. net — after costs
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — hurry
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rush — to hurry

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