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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. key — the most important part
  3. perch — the fish
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — electric
  12. rest — what's left
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. key — for a lock
  18. key — in music
  19. press — to push
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. current — happening now
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rest — what's left

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