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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tear — to rip
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tear — from crying
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. current — electric
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rest — a break
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — boats
  16. degree — from a university
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — of water
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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