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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. degree — temperature
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. current — of water
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. current — happening now
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — a tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — to crush
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wake — a trail

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