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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. last — final
  5. current — electric
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. current — happening now
  11. wound — an injury
  12. stem — to come from
  13. last — to go on
  14. current — of water
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. wound — an injury

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