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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. perch — the fish
  3. net — for catching
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. fork — in a road
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — on a finger

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