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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 116 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
468
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 · current · wave · present · rush · perch · file · cap

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. current — electric
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. present — a gift
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — the time now
  15. current — of water
  16. file — a document
  17. cap — of ice
  18. file — a tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. present — there
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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