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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. perch — the fish
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — thin
  20. wind — moving air
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to bend

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