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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. current — happening now
  4. mug — a face
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — of water
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lie — to recline
  12. tube — a container
  13. current — electric
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — a cup

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