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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — the season
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. game — wild animals
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stand — to bear
  23. fall — to drop
  24. perch — for a bird

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