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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. current — happening now
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — hasty
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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