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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. current — of water
  3. current — electric
  4. fall — to drop
  5. track — a path
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. current — happening now
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. track — to keep track
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fall — to drop
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fall — the season
  19. track — a song
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — music
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. march — the month

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