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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.

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: bore · current · saw · court · face · board · snap · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. current — electric
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. current — happening now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — of water
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bore — to drill
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bore — to tire
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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