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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — the fish
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bank — of a river
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pound — a weight
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. chair — a leader

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