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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. shower — to wash
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mate — a friend
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. current — happening now
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. object — a thing
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mate — a partner
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. current — electric
  22. shower — rain
  23. ball — a great time
  24. current — of water

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