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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. march — the month
  5. perch — the fish
  6. current — of water
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. current — happening now
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. current — electric
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. march — music
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. dip — to sink
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. rock — music

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