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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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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cold — an illness
  7. current — happening now
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — in a road
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — hurry
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. cold — not warm
  24. fork — to eat with

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