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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. kid — to tease
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — with your hand

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