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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. current — happening now
  3. object — an aim
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. object — a thing
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. object — to protest
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fine — all right
  14. pop — to visit
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — high quality
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. clip — a video

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