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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
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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: saw · coach · staff · last · rest · perch · hide · current

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. rest — what's left
  6. saw — the tool
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — final
  10. staff — employees
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. saw — the tool
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. current — electric
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rest — a break
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. staff — employees
  20. current — happening now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. perch — the fish
  23. staff — a stick
  24. last — finally

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