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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.

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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: current · snap · stick · firm · dip · object · club · safe

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. object — to protest
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — decided
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — for golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. dip — to sink
  12. snap — to click
  13. firm — steady
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. object — an aim
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — a company
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. current — electric

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