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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: tube · current · perch · safe · straw · wound · snap · stem

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. current — happening now
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. perch — the fish
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. current — electric
  10. wound — an injury
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. tube — the underground
  18. snap — to click
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. tube — a container
  23. current — of water
  24. perch — for a bird

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