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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — of water
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. current — happening now
  16. bank — for money
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pop — music
  20. bank — of a river
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. current — electric
  23. bank — for money
  24. sharp — clever

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