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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: rock · current · perch · chest · can · wave · sharp · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. current — happening now
  3. rock — music
  4. can — a tin
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — a box
  24. sharp — clever

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