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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. mark — a trace
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. band — a ring
  6. suit — clothes
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — in cards
  18. spring — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. row — a line
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. row — to paddle
  24. straw — a straw man

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