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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. press — to push
  9. drill — army training
  10. lie — to recline
  11. press — a publisher
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. perch — the fish
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. drill — the tool

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