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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bound — certain
  9. file — a document
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. scale — in music
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. file — a line of people
  17. press — newspapers
  18. cell — in biology
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bound — tied together
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bound — obliged

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