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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — decided
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. land — ground
  9. firm — a company
  10. dip — to sink
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — steady
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. current — electric
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — a country
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. land — to come down

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