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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. current — electric
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. game — wild animals
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. perch — the fish
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. current — of water
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. current — happening now
  16. game — a match
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. present — there
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. present — the time now
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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