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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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — an aim
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. perch — the fish
  8. object — to protest
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. object — a thing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wound — an injury

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