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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — help
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — happening now
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. current — of water
  15. board — a committee
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. band — a ring
  20. perch — the fish
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — to get on

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