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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — completely
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spring — the season
  5. perch — the fish
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to click
  12. mug — to rob
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a face
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. spring — a coil
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. spring — of water
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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