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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: clip · pitcher · vault · lash · straw · face · current · perch

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. vault — a safe
  3. face — part of the head
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. current — electric
  7. face — to confront
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. current — of water
  13. clip — a video
  14. current — happening now
  15. clip — for paper
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. face — to point toward
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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