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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · rest · cabinet · lash · safe · hide · bear · current

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. current — of water
  4. rest — what's left
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. rest — a break
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. current — electric
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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