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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. file — a tool
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. current — happening now
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. toast — bread
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. fall — the season
  16. net — in sport
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. cell — a phone
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cell — in biology
  22. current — of water
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. safe — out of danger

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