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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. race — humankind
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. race — a contest
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. current — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. hand — help
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. current — happening now
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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