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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spring — the season
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. board — to get on
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spring — of water
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wind — moving air
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. current — of water
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. wind — moving air

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