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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a great time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. track — a path
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. track — a song
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. shower — rain
  17. sharp — clever
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. face — to confront
  24. track — to keep track

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