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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. spring — of water
  3. face — to confront
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — to point toward
  8. bound — obliged
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — of water
  13. bound — certain
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — decided
  16. firm — steady
  17. face — part of the head
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spring — the season
  21. craft — boats
  22. current — happening now
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bound — tied together

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