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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. clip — to cut
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — decided
  6. fine — high quality
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. clip — a video
  9. mark — a trace
  10. current — happening now
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — electric
  18. firm — a company
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. firm — steady
  21. clip — for paper
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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