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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. face — part of the head
  3. current — of water
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — electric
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — to tease
  20. face — to point toward
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. face — to confront
  24. safe — out of danger

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