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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wake — a trail
  4. key — in music
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — for a lock
  15. squash — to crush
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — for betting
  19. perch — the fish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. staff — a stick
  23. staff — employees
  24. chip — in a computer

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