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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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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: tear · snap · current · stick · perch · present · lie · court

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. current — electric
  3. tear — to rip
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tear — from crying
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. current — of water
  9. tear — from crying
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. snap — to click
  14. court — for sport
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. present — the time now
  18. court — of law
  19. present — a gift
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. present — there
  22. court — of a king
  23. current — happening now
  24. lie — to recline

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