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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 120 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: current · perch · arm · safe · spring · wake · land · fine

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. land — to come down
  6. land — a country
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. perch — the fish
  10. land — ground
  11. spring — of water
  12. fine — high quality
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. spring — the season
  17. wake — a trail
  18. fine — all right
  19. spring — a coil
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. current — happening now
  22. current — of water
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. arm — a part of something

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