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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — music
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. tear — to rip
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — of water
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. tear — from crying

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