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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: saw · bore · hide · staff · content · snap · current · perch

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. current — of water
  3. snap — to click
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. staff — employees
  6. current — electric
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. perch — the fish
  9. content — happy
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bore — to tire
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — the amount
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. current — happening now
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. staff — employees
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. staff — a stick
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — the tool

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