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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. fall — the season
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. face — part of the head
  12. court — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. court — of a king
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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