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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — electric
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bound — certain
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — obliged
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. clip — to cut
  15. cue — a signal
  16. spell — magic
  17. bound — tied together
  18. cue — for pool
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — letters
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. clip — for paper
  23. clip — a video
  24. current — happening now

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