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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. perch — for a bird
  2. season — of the year
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. perch — the fish
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — thin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cell — a phone
  16. charge — a price
  17. lean — to bend
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. charge — electricity
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cell — in a prison
  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