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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. bat — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. current — electric
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rush — hurry

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