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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. perch — the fish
  4. degree — from a university
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. current — happening now
  21. board — to get on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. current — electric

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