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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. kid — child
  6. roll — a list
  7. cue — a hint
  8. perch — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wind — moving air
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cue — for pool
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — a signal
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wind — moving air
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. squash — to crush
  20. roll — a cake
  21. kid — to tease
  22. squash — the vegetable
  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