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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. can — a tin
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. toast — bread
  8. can — a tin
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. current — of water
  12. can — to be able to
  13. dip — to sink
  14. firm — decided
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. firm — steady
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. current — happening now
  19. perch — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. firm — a company
  24. bat — the animal

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