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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — the tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spell — magic
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — in golf
  9. shower — rain
  10. firm — steady
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — to play on
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spell — letters
  19. swing — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. perch — the fish
  24. lean — thin

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