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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. craft — boats
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bore — to drill
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. scale — size or range
  18. craft — a skill
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. craft — a handicraft

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