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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. stand — to bear
  6. plane — a tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. key — the most important part
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. key — in music
  12. perch — the fish
  13. tear — to rip
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — from crying
  16. lean — thin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stand — on your feet

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