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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. suit — to fit
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rash — hasty
  12. suit — in cards
  13. chair — a leader
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rash — a series
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. last — to go on
  24. board — to get on

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