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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. season — of the year
  8. lean — to bend
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. lean — thin
  18. game — a match
  19. season — in sport
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. perch — the fish
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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