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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: safe · lash · perch · straw · spring · current · court · key

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

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

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