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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cell — in biology
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. current — of water
  10. pound — a weight
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. ball — a dance
  14. cell — a phone
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. perch — the fish
  24. cell — in a prison

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