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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · current · can · cold · lie · straw · bay · perch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — happening now
  3. can — a tin
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cold — an illness
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — of water
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. can — to be able to
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. plane — a tool
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. current — electric

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