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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. press — a publisher
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — of water
  10. press — to push
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — to recline
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. capital — a city
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. capital — money
  23. straw — a straw man
  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