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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 was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. degree — from a university
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. degree — an amount
  5. current — electric
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — from crying
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. toast — bread
  16. tear — from crying
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. staff — employees
  20. degree — temperature
  21. tear — to rip
  22. ball — a dance
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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