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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 120 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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spring — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spring — of water
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bear — the animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. perch — the fish
  24. wave — of the sea

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