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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.

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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 · swing · face · mark · perch · trunk · last · firm

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. swing — in golf
  3. firm — decided
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — to play on
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. face — part of the head
  9. current — electric
  10. last — finally
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — to confront
  15. mark — a grade
  16. current — of water
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — a trace
  21. firm — steady
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — music
  24. firm — a company

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