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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: current · clip · sharp · perch · shower · kick · season · can

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. can — a tin
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — a tin
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — electric
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. current — of water
  12. season — of the year
  13. clip — to cut
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. clip — a video
  16. shower — rain
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. can — to be able to
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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