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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — to fit
  5. present — a gift
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. perch — the fish
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. present — there
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wound — an injury
  15. land — ground
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — the time now
  19. wound — an injury
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. suit — clothes

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