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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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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: perch · lie · mug · shower · current · firm · spring · net

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. net — for catching
  3. spring — a coil
  4. current — of water
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. net — in sport
  8. mug — to rob
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. current — happening now
  14. firm — decided
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — the fish
  17. firm — a company
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. shower — to wash
  21. spring — of water
  22. mug — a face
  23. net — after costs
  24. spring — the season

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