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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. suit — clothes
  4. suit — to fit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. content — the amount
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rash — a series
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. content — happy
  15. track — a path
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. track — a song
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. content — videos and posts

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