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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. current — electric
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cue — a hint
  9. vault — a safe
  10. cue — a signal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cap — of ice
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. perch — the fish
  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