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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — moving air
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lean — to bend
  11. plane — a tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. lean — thin
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of law
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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