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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: current · perch · can · rush · wake · tear · land · calf

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. land — a country
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. current — electric
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — of water
  7. can — a tin
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. current — happening now
  15. tear — to rip
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tear — from crying
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. land — to come down
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. land — ground
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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