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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a lid
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — the fish
  6. cap — of ice
  7. current — happening now
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rule — a law
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rule — government
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cap — a hat

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