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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — the amount
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mine — for digging
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. content — happy
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — thin
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rock — music
  24. mouse — the animal

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