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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. current — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spell — a short time
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. spell — letters
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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