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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bat — the animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. current — of water
  9. root — the cause
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bass — low music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. root — of a plant
  15. current — electric
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. current — happening now
  19. root — of a word
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hide — animal skin

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