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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. fall — the season
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bat — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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