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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: kick · perch · current · rest · press · wave · key · stock

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. rest — a break
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — of water
  9. kick — in football
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. current — happening now
  13. key — in music
  14. current — electric
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. press — newspapers
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rest — what's left
  20. key — the most important part
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stock — goods
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. press — to push

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