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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. perch — the fish
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to confront
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. face — part of the head
  19. charge — in control
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — completely
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. charge — a price

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