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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a word
  4. scale — size or range
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — the fish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. root — the cause
  11. fine — high quality
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. root — of a plant
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. scale — in music
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. jam — a tight spot

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