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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spring — of water
  4. current — of water
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spring — the season
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. spring — a coil
  12. press — newspapers
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. current — happening now
  17. press — to push
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. current — electric
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. press — a publisher
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. perch — the fish

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