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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. staff — employees
  5. perch — the fish
  6. craft — a skill
  7. current — happening now
  8. wake — a trail
  9. craft — boats
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bass — low music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cap — a hat
  15. staff — employees
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — of ice
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. current — electric
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. current — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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