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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. last — finally
  3. current — of water
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — to recline
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. current — electric
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitch — completely
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. last — final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. staff — a stick
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. last — to go 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