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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: mouse · straw · mate · cold · current · perch · mark · ruler

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mark — a grade
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. current — happening now
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. mark — a trace
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. current — of water
  24. straw — a straw man

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