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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: perch · arm · dip · current · cap · suit · spring · mug

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spring — of water
  4. cap — a hat
  5. suit — to fit
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — of ice
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. current — of water
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. spring — the season
  13. perch — the fish
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mug — a face
  16. current — happening now
  17. mug — a cup
  18. suit — in cards
  19. current — electric
  20. spring — a coil
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. perch — for a bird

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