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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: wound · suit · drill · cap · safe · current · sharp · track

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. sharp — clever
  3. drill — a practice
  4. current — of water
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cap — a lid
  7. track — a path
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. wound — an injury
  11. cap — of ice
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. current — electric
  16. track — to keep track
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — a song
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. drill — the tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. current — happening now

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