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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. tube — a container
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. current — electric
  8. rash — hasty
  9. degree — an amount
  10. bound — certain
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. degree — from a university
  19. tube — the underground
  20. current — of water
  21. rash — a series
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fan — a supporter

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