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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. last — final
  6. staff — employees
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. current — happening now
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rush — hurry
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. last — finally
  18. staff — a stick
  19. current — electric
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — to go on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — to crush

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