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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 birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. mark — a trace
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. perch — the fish
  5. wake — a trail
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a face
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mark — a grade
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mug — a cup
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mug — to rob
  23. last — final
  24. last — to go on

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