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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spell — magic
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. spell — a short time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. spell — letters
  19. perch — the fish
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. nail — on a finger

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