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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. perch — the fish
  10. fine — all right
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rule — a law
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. lie — to recline
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rule — government

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