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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. current — electric
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. current — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kick — in football
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. perch — the fish
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cue — a hint
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mug — a face
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. cue — a signal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. cue — for pool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mug — a cup
  24. lie — an untruth

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