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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 that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — what's left
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mug — a cup
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. spell — letters
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rest — a break
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — the animal
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. current — of water
  24. bat — for baseball

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