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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. current — happening now
  3. face — part of the head
  4. perch — the fish
  5. current — of water
  6. rest — what's left
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. craft — boats
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — to point toward
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — electric
  16. craft — a skill
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rest — what's left
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rest — a break
  21. cap — a hat
  22. row — a line
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. perch — for a bird

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