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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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Word bank
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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. current — of water
  5. branch — a division
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — child
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. land — ground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stock — goods
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. stock — shares
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. current — happening now
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. land — a country
  21. game — wild animals
  22. land — to come down
  23. game — a match
  24. kid — to tease

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