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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to drill
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. last — to go on
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — finally
  20. last — final
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. can — a tin
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — dry grass

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