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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. perch — the fish
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bound — obliged
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. current — happening now
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bound — tied together
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. current — electric
  24. wound — an injury

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