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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · cabinet · saw · current · wind · fan · rest · spring

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. wind — moving air
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rest — what's left
  7. current — electric
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. spring — of water
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rest — a break
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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