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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: hide · current · cabinet · perch · can · lie · bass · court

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  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. current — of water
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. current — electric
  4. bass — low music
  5. current — happening now
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. court — for sport
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. court — of a king
  16. perch — the fish
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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