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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. fan — to cool the air

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