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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — a measure
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. perch — the fish
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. track — a path
  11. track — a song
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. track — to keep track
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. temple — a place of worship

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