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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 120 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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. last — finally
  4. mark — a grade
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — a thing
  8. current — happening now
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. object — to protest
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — of water
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — electric
  18. object — an aim
  19. last — to go on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — final
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mark — a trace

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