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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.

Make a worksheet

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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. current — electric
  6. perch — the fish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — to point toward
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. current — of water
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — the earth
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. face — part of the head
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. current — happening now
  23. face — to confront
  24. trunk — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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