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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. shower — to wash
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. current — of water
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chip — to eat
  18. shower — rain
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pit — in a race
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. current — happening now

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