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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 116 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pop — music
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bound — certain
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. current — happening now
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. land — ground
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — to come down
  22. kick — in football
  23. current — electric
  24. land — a country

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