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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cell — in biology
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cap — a hat
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. roll — a cake
  11. perch — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — all right
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. staff — employees
  19. fine — high quality
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — for a bird

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