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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. net — after costs
  3. current — of water
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — electric
  7. last — finally
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. current — happening now
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. net — for catching
  21. last — to go on
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. last — final
  24. perch — for a bird

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