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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. lean — thin
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bark — to shout
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  24. key — for a lock

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