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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. current — of water
  3. bat — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. current — happening now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. tear — from crying
  16. current — electric
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tear — to rip
  24. safe — a strongbox

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