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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lean — thin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tear — from crying
  15. suit — to fit
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. face — part of the head
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. suit — clothes
  22. lean — to bend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. tear — from crying

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