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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 was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. charge — a price
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cell — in biology
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — electric
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bark — to shout
  18. current — happening now
  19. charge — in control
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — of water
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bat — in an idiom

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