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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 124 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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. current — happening now
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wake — a trail
  8. current — electric
  9. perch — the fish
  10. rule — government
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rule — a law
  14. staff — a stick
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — employees
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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