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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. current — electric
  8. clip — for paper
  9. perch — the fish
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. current — of water
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to sink
  24. clip — to cut

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