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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 120 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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. fall — the season
  4. charge — a price
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. charge — electricity
  9. staff — employees
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. charge — in control
  12. fall — to drop
  13. staff — a stick
  14. current — of water
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air

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