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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.

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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. swing — in golf
  5. mate — to breed
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a partner
  10. stock — goods
  11. swing — to play on
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. swing — music
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stock — shares

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