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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — electric
  4. roll — a list
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. current — happening now
  7. swing — music
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. bound — tied together
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bound — obliged
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bat — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. current — of water
  22. swing — in golf
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bound — certain

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