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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — obliged
  7. kid — child
  8. bound — certain
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. firm — decided
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. current — electric
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. firm — steady
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. kid — to tease
  21. current — of water
  22. bound — tied together
  23. firm — a company
  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