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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — the fish
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. swing — in golf
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cold — not warm
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — happening now
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. current — of water
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cold — an illness

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