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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. suit — in cards
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. clip — to cut
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — the fish
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. suit — clothes
  19. clip — a video
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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