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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — in football
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. spring — the season
  5. bank — for money
  6. perch — the fish
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. charge — a price
  11. bore — to drill
  12. spring — of water
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. bank — for money
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spring — a coil
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. charge — in control
  23. bore — to tire
  24. charge — electricity

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