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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. kid — child
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rush — hurry
  10. face — to confront
  11. charge — a price
  12. bat — the animal
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. charge — in control
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. face — to point toward
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. kid — to tease
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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