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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. current — electric
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. march — music
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. perch — the fish
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. current — happening now
  21. wound — an injury
  22. current — of water
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. row — a line

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