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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fall — to drop
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fall — to drop
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — the fish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. mouse — the animal

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