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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. current — electric
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. degree — temperature
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — to handle
  16. content — happy
  17. degree — from a university
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. current — of water
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. degree — an amount
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. deal — an agreement

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