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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: trunk · perch · press · current · straw · field · temple · track

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. field — for sport
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. press — to push
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. field — a subject
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. press — a publisher
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a path
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. press — newspapers
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. field — farmland
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. current — of water
  20. track — to keep track
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. track — a song

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