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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. swing — music
  3. current — of water
  4. perch — the fish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. hand — in cards
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. hand — help
  16. swing — in golf
  17. current — happening now
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. current — electric
  20. swing — to play on
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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