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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. toast — bread
  5. last — to go on
  6. perch — the fish
  7. foot — a measure
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bat — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — with an edge

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