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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. roll — a cake
  4. current — happening now
  5. game — wild animals
  6. rest — what's left
  7. roll — a list
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of law
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. game — a match
  14. court — of a king
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. current — of water
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rest — what's left
  22. court — for sport
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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