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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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. band — a ring
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — of water
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — happening now
  9. firm — steady
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. current — electric
  12. firm — decided
  13. wind — moving air
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. firm — a company
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — the fish
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. band — a music group
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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