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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.

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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: lie · nail · bat · current · mouse · last · perch · land

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. land — to come down
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. current — of water
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. last — finally
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. current — electric
  21. last — final
  22. land — a country
  23. last — to go on
  24. bat — the animal

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