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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — low music
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. tube — a container
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bass — the fish
  9. squash — the sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tube — the underground
  19. lie — to recline
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. perch — the fish
  24. sharp — clever

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