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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. present — the time now
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bat — the animal
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. present — there
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. present — a gift
  20. season — of the year
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. roll — a list
  24. bat — in an idiom

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