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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. row — a line
  3. wake — a trail
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mate — a partner
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. craft — a skill
  9. lie — to recline
  10. object — to protest
  11. perch — the fish
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. object — an aim
  22. mate — a friend
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. object — a thing

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