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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. perch — the fish
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. rule — a law
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. clip — to cut
  10. rule — government
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. clip — a video
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chair — a leader
  17. swing — in golf
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — decided
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. swing — to play on
  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