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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — a division
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wind — moving air
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. craft — boats
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wind — moving air

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