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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. perch — the fish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. row — to paddle
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. club — for dancing
  9. race — the arms race
  10. current — happening now
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. club — a group
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. row — a line
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. race — humankind
  18. squash — the sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. squash — to crush
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — a contest
  23. club — for golf
  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