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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fall — to drop
  3. current — of water
  4. can — a tin
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. perch — the fish
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. current — happening now
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kid — to tease
  17. can — a tin
  18. current — electric
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fall — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. can — to be able to
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. saw — the tool

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