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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 116 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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wound — an injury
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. pit — in a race
  8. current — of water
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. current — happening now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — thin
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — the fish
  24. fan — to cool the air

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