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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. land — to come down
  5. face — to confront
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. season — of the year
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — to rob
  10. perch — the fish
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mug — a face
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — to point toward
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. land — ground
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. plane — in geometry

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