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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. net — after costs
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — for catching
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. squash — to crush
  13. net — in sport
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — tied together
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. current — of water
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rock — music
  24. straw — a straw man

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