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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: current · rule · chip · perch · saw · mate · wave · hide

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mate — a friend
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rule — a law
  6. perch — the fish
  7. current — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. mate — to breed
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. current — happening now
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. current — electric
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. rule — to rule out

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