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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — finally
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. last — final
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — to tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — to go on
  24. hand — in cards

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