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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — in golf
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wound — an injury
  18. current — electric
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. current — of water
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wound — an injury
  24. perch — the fish

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