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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. cue — for pool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a signal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — for light
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a hat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cap — a lid
  16. sharp — clever
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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