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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spring · hide · bear · current · perch · pass · swing · degree

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. swing — music
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. spring — the season
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. swing — to play on
  14. degree — an amount
  15. current — happening now
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. current — of water
  19. spring — of water
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bear — the animal
  22. current — electric
  23. pass — a permit
  24. swing — in golf

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