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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. snap — to click
  6. current — happening now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — electric
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — certain
  24. perch — the fish

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