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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fall — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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