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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: nail · perch · field · cold · saw · calf · current · lie

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — electric
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cold — an illness
  9. saw — the tool
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. field — farmland
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. field — a subject
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — for sport
  23. saw — the tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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