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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: perch · lash · straw · current · key · court · snap · mouse

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. key — the most important part
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — in music
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. current — happening now
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. court — for sport
  19. snap — to click
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. court — of law

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