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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  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. can — a tin
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wound — an injury
  4. perch — the fish
  5. can — to be able to
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. current — electric
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. current — of water
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. foot — a measure
  14. can — a tin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. chip — to eat
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. kid — to tease
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kid — child
  23. chip — in a computer
  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